Shell type sluice gate



Aug. 8 1939.

C. J. LOPEZ SHELL TYPE SLUICE GATE Filed Jan. 18, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED PATENT OFFICE Application January 18, 1938,Serial No. 185,598

. In Mexico December 10, 1937 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to sluice gates for dams in general, andit more particularly concerns a sluice gate of improved constructions,different from the ones known at this time be- 5 cause the form of thefrontal surface permits the latter to perform a leading function in theresistance borne against it by the pressure of water, thus allowing thesluice gate to belighter, its shape being entirely different from thatof other sluice gates existing at the present time.

The term shell type sluice gate comes from other structures previouslycalled, the principles of the design of which is applied to such othersluice gates.

The sluice gate can be built using one or several shells, which arestructures having three continuous, thin dimensions, and having asurface engendered by a curved directrix and a straight or curvedgeneratrix.

The shell can be of the open or closed type.

The shell type structure is characterized by its ends being embedded orsecured to rigid guides, in both types, and in the case of open shellforms, their longitudinal edges are tied to girders or bars theprincipal object of which is 25 to lend rigidity to the structure,whereas in the ordinary sluice gates, the girders or bars have as theironly function that of the transmission of the loads to the supports ofthe sluice gate.

In the structure of the closed shells, the rigid longitudinal girdersdisappear, because the function of the latter is automatically performedby the closing of the structure which forms tubes that may be of acircular or elliptical section or any other closed curve in which therecan be applied the same principle that serves as the basis for the shelltype sluice gate.

The excellent structural properties of the closed shell forms are due tothe fact that the external 40 pressures on the surface are transmitted,in large part, by direct, longitudinal stress, with the shell formoperating as a girder of cylindrical section, embedded in its rigidframes.

In the open shell forms the rigid or boundary 45 girders, which runlongitudinally following along the edge of the shell form, prevent theoccurrence of large deformations on the edges, and the action of thewhole from the structural point of view is similar to the case of theclosed shell forms.

50 The characteristic details of this new sluice gate, are clearly shownin the following description and in the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a conventional perspective View of a shell type sluice gate,the water-tight closure,

5 bearing and elevating systems being omitted to clearly represent thefeatures which constitute the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of sluice gate.

The illustrated sluice gate consists of shell like sections a, b, c, thelast one of which is that of the bottom and which are of cylindrical,circular, and open form, having different thicknesses and radius ofcurvature.

The rigid or boundary girders or bars I, g, h, are also different fromone another and have been drawn in I section, and may be of box type orany other kind of section.

The end frames comprise rectangle plates to which the shell sections andthe girders are closely tied.

To illustrate the drawings more clearly, a section parallel to theframes that includes the two upper shell sections a, b and part of thelower one o, is shown, and in it can be seen the location of thelongitudinal girders or bars. The part of the frame' which is not shownbecause of the location of the section is represented by dotted orbroken lines.

The system operates by receiving the pressure of the water on the convexpart of the shell sections indicated by the arrow F.

Figure 2 represents a somewhat difierent form of sluice gate of shellconstruction and comprises shell sections a.', b and 0' showncylindrical and hollow, but may be oval in cross section.

The frames d and e perform the same function as the form shown in Figure1.

The upper shell sections a and b and part of the lower shell section 0are shown in section for the purpose of giving a better idea of thestructure.

Having thus described the invention, What I consider as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sluice gate comprising side members, and a series of contactingshell-like horizontal members having curved outer surfaces and connectedto the side members, the vertical depth of the shell-like horizontalmembers varying from the bottom member to the top member, the lowermember being the largest.

2. A sluice gate comprising side members, a series of horizontal crossmembers connected to the side members, said horizontal members beingopen at their rear and curved on their front, a series of bars insideeach horizontal member where said horizontal members abut, and bars atthe inner terminals of said horizontal members, all said bars beingconnected with the side members.

3. A sluice gate comprising side members, a series of shell-likehorizontal members open at their rear and having their front surfacesconvex, the vertical depth of the shell-like members varying from thebottom member to the top member, the lower member being the largest.

cE'sAR JIMENEZ LOPEZ.

